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Saturday, October 27, 2012

Machu Picchu

It is customary to have photos taken with the weavers of the articles you purchase.

It took 72 years, but I finally made it to Machu Picchu.

As you climb in elevation the type of housing, food and dress change. The air thins and many of the communities still routinely dress in the fashion of their ancestors. The old ways are cherished and despite the onslaught of tourists, these people remain insular and seem unaffected by most Western influences. Their diet is vegetable based and while cows, sheep, and alpaca are present, the only animal protein consumed is guinea pig. Stilt houses are replaced with stone and adobe structures that are better suited to the cooler temperatures and altitude. Here, as in other areas of Peru, the unemployment rate is zero. Jobs do not pay well, but work is always available. Major occupations are farming, weaving and jobs that service the tourist industry. The air in these communities is thin and becomes rarefied as you ascend into the Cloud Forest and reach Machu Picchu. It is a mystical place and as you walk and climb through its terraces you're hit with recurring waves of awe and a heightened respect for the ancient people who created this fortress so high in the Andean mists. It is an experience I certainly will never forget.

Thank you for sharing your travels, as I so enjoyed taking in all the photos you have posted here. These people are so "colourful", I love it! If it took you this long to get here, then there might still be hope for me to get to Europe and Australia some day! Thanks Mary always for your kindness and sharing. "Just Me" xx

How wonderful, Mary, for you to finally make it to Machu Picchu! One of our sons got to go there on an art scholarship one summer. He's the one that is staying with us right now while recuperating from spinal disk fusion surgery. If you stop by my blog, you can see the pumpkin he creatively carved for me.

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